Accountability

In order to ensure transparency and accountability on how European aid funds were spent, at the end of each year the European Commission's department for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations establishes an annual report. The report is available to the public, presenting how the budget was spent and which activities were carried out.

Audits

The European Commission's department for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations is regularly subject to an annual detailed review of procedures and validation of its expenditure. Audits are carried out by the European Court of Auditors, as well as the Internal Audit Service of the Commission. ECHO also carries out partners' audits to assess whether grants have been spent in accordance with laid down rules, and to provide recommendations to improve the financial management by partners.

Strategy

The European Commission's department for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations is committed to developing every year a strategic plan in order to co-ordinate and to programme its activities efficiently and in an appropriate manner adopting an impartial approach based on needs. To ensure maximum transparency, the department's annual strategies are available to the public.

If you would like to report any suspicion of misconduct, mismanagement or fraud or any other illegal activities related to ECHO funded actions or ECHO activities, please contact ECHO at ECHO-REPORTFRAUD@ec.europa.eu. For such reporting, there are no specific requirements to be met or procedures to be followed, apart from providing ECHO with as precise and detailed information as possible, including supporting documents if available.

ECHO handles personal data in accordance with Regulation (EC) 45/2001, and provides the informant with relevant information on data protection when receiving information via the form filled in internet or email.